Powder-tank closure.



1. N. POWERS & A. Y. LEECH, In.

POWD ANK CLOSURE. APPLICATIV LED jmze. 19H.

Pate ed 00. ,1917.

J. N. POWERS & A. Y. LEECH, JR.

UMTED STATES PATENT onrion JOHN N. POWERS AND ABNER Y. IiEECH, J R., OFWASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNORS TO UNITED STATES ORDNANCECOMPANY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA.

POWDER-TANK CLOSURE.

Specification of Letters Patent: Patented Oct. 23, 1917.,

Application filed January 26, 1917. Serial No. 144,736.

Toull whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, JOHN N. POWERS and ABNER Y. LEECH, Jr., bothcitizens of the United States, residing at Washington, in the Districtof Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPowder-Tank Closures; and we do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

Owing to the deterioration of gaskets in powder tank closures it hasbeen a difiicult problem to maintain the tanksefi'ectively sealed andthus save the contents from dam age and in many cases total loss as aresult of atmospheric action. Both rubber and leather gaskets have beenemployed and the former has been found certain of deterioration, whilethe latter when subjected to the influence of a dry climate will shrink.In the use of both types of gaskets the seal is eventually impaired andthe contents damaged or totally lost.

It is therefore the purpose of our present invention to provide aclosure for powder tanks wherein an energized element is employed toforce the cover of the tank into sealing engagement with the sealingsurface of the top ring, such element when the locking of the closure iscompleted having a store of energy which acts constantly on the coverdirectly above the gasket so that when the latter deteriorates orshrinks the spring ener stored in the element will compensate or suchdeterioration or shrinkage of the gasket and maintain the necessaryeffective seal.

Furthermore, it is our purpose to provide a powder tank closure whichembodies a plu rality of seals so arranged and positioned that in theevent one of the seals should become impaired the remaining seal orseals will continue to act in an effective manner, the various sealsbeing entirely independent of each other and being acted onindependently by the locking device of the closure.

We will describe our invention in the best forms known to us at presentbut it will be understood that the sameis susceptible to changes in formand proportion, and to desirable additions, with the exercise of onlyordinary mechanical skill Without departing from the spirit of ourinvention.

. In the drawings chosen to illustrate our invention, the scope whereofis pointed out in the claims Figure 1 is a vertical section through theclosure of a powder tank constructed in accordance with our invention,the closure being shown in unlocked position;

Fig. 2, a plan view of the closure, the same being shown in lockedposition;

Fig. 3, a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4, a plan view of a modified form of our closure, and

Fig. 5, a section on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings 10 indicates the upper end of a powder tankand 11 the top ring carried thereby. This ring 11 is .provided with anannular sealing rib 13 and an annular groove 13 disposed inwardly of therib. Seated in the groove 13 is a gasket 13* of any suitable material.Provided on the ring 11 at predetermined spaced intervals are inwardlydirectedbearing ledges 14 and mounted in one of these ledges is a stoppin 15 for determining the locking position of the closure in a mannerthat will hereinafter appear. In this instance'I have shown four bearingledges 14 but the number can be indefinitely increased according tocircumstances. The cover element of the clo sure is indicated at 16 andis provided on its underside and at its periphery with an annular groove17 in which is seated a gasket 18 adapted to cooperate with the sealingrib 13 as will be obvious. Mounted centrally on the cover 16 is anupwardly extending threaded stud 19 which passes through a non-threadedopening 20 in a locking head 21. Threaded on the stud 19 above thelocking head 21 is a locking nut 22 through the medium of which the head21 can be forced in the direction of the cover 16. Carried by the head21 is a plurality of locking arms 23 corresponding in number to thenumber of ledges 14. These arms are constructed of suitable spring steeland in their normal or unlocked position their inner ends are disposedabove their outer ends as will beapparent upon an inspection of Fig. 1.Each of the arms, 23 is provided with a lug 23 which engages the cover16 directly above the gasket 13, while the arm proper engages the cover16 outwardly of the lug 23 directly above the gasket 18..

In applying the closure the arms 23 are inserted through the spacebetween the ledges 14 and after the gasket 18 engages the rib 13 thehead 21 and the arms. 23 are rotated until one of the arms 23 engagesthe stop pin 15 when the parts will be correctly positioned for lockingthe closure. To efi'ect the desired locking the nut 22 is rotated to theright which will force the head 21 in the direction of the cover 16.During this movement of the head 21 the outer ends of the varm 23 willbe forced into engagement with the bearing ledges 14. Continued movementof the head 21' in the direction of the cover 16 will energize the arms23" and the latter will react to force the gaskets into sealingengagement, with the cover and with the sealing rib respectively. Itwill of course be apparent that the lug 23 acts to force the coveragainst the gasket 13", while the arm proper acts to force the gasket 18against the sealing rib 13. As there is a limit to the compression ofthe gaskets 13 and 18 it will be obvious that the final movements of thehead 21 in the direction of the cover 16 will store in the arms 23acertain amount of spring energy which will progressively act against thecover 16 as the gaskets deteriorate to maintain the desired andeffective seal.

It will be noted that theparts of the closure are so arranged and shapedthat when the same is in locked position said parts will be disposedentirely within the upper limits of the top ring which'is a desirableadvantage to maintain in powder tank closures in that it enables thetanks to be stored one upon the other, end 'to end. Furthermore ourconstruction of closure enables us to maintain a large number of bearingpoints between the locking elements and the top ring so that uniformityof the seal will be produced.

While we have shown the arms 23 riveted to the head 21 it will beapparent that the arms could be easily connected adjacent their outerends and the inner ends directly engaged by the nut 22. Under suchconditions the arms and the mutual connection therebetween could bestamped out in a single operation.

In the modified construction shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the head 21 isprovided with spaced lugs 21 and the arms 23 are pivotally connected attheir inner ends to these lugs 2l respectively. In other respects theconstruction of the closure illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 is similar tothatpreviously described. It may be noted however that a larger numberof ledges 14 and arms 23 are provided and that the seal is efi'eeted bythe action of the arms 23 fulcruming on the ledges 14. said arms beingconstructed considerably heavier than the arms 23 disclosed in Figs. 1'to 3. The form of invention which we have illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5is particularly adapted for use in connection with powder tanks having arelatively great diameter.

What is claimed is '1. In a powdertank closure, the combination of a topring having an interior groove therein forming an annular sealing rib, acover having an annular groove on its lower side, a gasket in saidgroove cooperating with the sealing rib, a spring device adapted toprogressively act on the cover as the gasket deteriorates to force thegasket into engagement with the rib, and means for energizing saidspring device.

2. In a powder tank closure, the combination of a top ring including asealing surface, a cover cooperating with the sealing.

surface; a plurality of spring locking arms adapted to force the coveragainst the sealing surface and having a non-pivotal hearing at theirouter ends against the top ring, and means for energizing said armswhereby the spring force stored therein will constantly. act against thecover to force the latter into sealing engagement with the sealingsurface.

3. In a powder tank closure, thecombination of a top ring including asealing surface, a cover including a-gasket cooperating with the sealingsurface, a plurality of spring locking arms adapted to act on the coverdirectly above the gasket to force the latter into sealing engagementwith the sealing surface, said arms having a nonpivotal bearing at theirouter ends against the top ring, and means for energizing said armswhereby the force stored therein will constantly act agalnst thevcoverasthe gasket deteriorates to force the gasket into sealingengagement with the sealing surface.

4. In a powder tank closure, the combination of a top ring having asealing surface and a plurality of spaced inwardly directed ledges, acover coiiperating with the sealing surface, a locking head, a pluralitof spring locking arms carried by the ead and having a non-pivotalbearing against said ledges respectively, said arms having a store ofenergv when energized which acts against the coverto force the latterinto sealing engagement with the sealing surface, and means for forcingthe locking head in the direction of the cover to energize said arms.

5. In a powdertank closure, the combination of a top rlng having asealing surface, a cover 'coiiperating with the sealing surface, alocking head, a plurality of spring locking arms carried by the head andhavends against the top ring, said arms nor- In testimony whereof Wehereunto aiiix' 1e mally having their inner ends disposed outoursignatures in the presence of two wlt wardly of their outer ends andadapted nesses.

When energized to have a store of energy Which acts against the cover toforce the JR latter into sealing engagement With the sealing surface,and means for forcingthe lock- Witnesses:

ing head in the direction of the cover to LOUIs A. LEEOH,

energize said arms. EDITH SToWnLL.

